The Basics of Performance Measurement, Second Edition

You can’t understand, manage, or improve what you don’t measure

While every smart executive now knows the truth of those words, perhaps more so than anyone, it was Jerry Harbour who turned that adage into a science. Originally published in 1997, The Basics of Performance Measurement helped pioneer the science of performance measurement and continues to serve as an industry standard.


Yet, despite the book’s continued relevancy, Harbour is once again stepping ahead of the curve to fully update his little yellow book. In addition to adding the wisdom of lessons learned over the past decade, he adds two new chapters to this second edition. One of these chapters discusses units of measurement. The other introduces ways to better interpret what has been measured and then translate those measurement-related interpretations into actionable knowledge.


Harbour provides a six-step method for developing a performance measurement system. He shows how to design performance measurement families and how to build hierarchies tailored to different levels within an organization. He also covers collection and distribution, as well as the value of performance measure displays. When you finish this book, you will be able to undertake performance measurement with new confidence. You will also come away knowing how to present your findings with an authority that will convince stakeholders of the importance and accuracy of your results.